Sanjeev Sularia

In this keynote, I will address how the guest experience, at every interaction with people and product, improves the overall impression and engagement with the brand. A complimentary digital expression of PIRCH focused on extending the brick and-mortar experience and relationships furthers the brand engagement and advocacy.
Learning objectives:

Impact of culture and in-store interaction on time spent inside the showroom

How Random Acts of Joy drives advocacy and NPS

A complimentary digital experience keeps the focus on relationships not transactions

Bill Sleeth

09:25 AM - 09:45 AMKEYNOTE: How To Bring Your Merchandising Strategy Into The Omni-channel Age

One of the central components of achieving a satisfactory level of
omnichannel success is addressing the issue of merchandising. According to Retail Systems Research’s (RSR) 2015 annual merchandising benchmark report, 44% of the retailers surveyed
identified managing the complexities of cross-channel merchandising as one of their top three challenges.

In this session, we will focus on:

Identifying the key challenges of omnichannel merchandising

Case study examples of which retailers are getting it right

Key solutions and strategies that can help retailers move forward

Find out how omnichannel merchandising strategies can provide
increased consistency, efficiency and convenience to build a successful cross-channel brand experience.

Customers are experiencing information overload as promotional
emails flood their inboxes and their mobile devices buzz with activity. As a retailer, what can you do to engage your customers and keep them engaged in a way that stands out from all the other “noise”?

Today, simply having a good app or a good in-store experience is often insufficient. In today’s digital economy, your customers expect a great experience – one that remembers their unique traits and makes them happy - no matter where the engagement
occurs. Applause’s Ben Gray will discuss the importance of a holistic approach to quality across the entire customer journey, and explain how understanding the experience from your customers’ point-of-view can turn casual shoppers into raving fans and even evangelists of your brand.

Attendees will better understand:

The importance of your customers’ point-of-view

The available tools to listen to your customers

How app store reviews and social media have changed the definition of ‘brand quality.’

Ensuring that your online and in-store experiences are connected and seamless is a top priority for today's retailers. In this session hear how leading organizations are breaking down internal siloes and working together to improve the shopping experience across all touch points.

Track B: Capitalizing On The Experience Economy

Alex Carleton, creative director at Filson, will discuss his thoughts on the resurgence of brick-and-mortar retail in an increasingly digital economy. As a heritage brand, why it’s important to draw from core strengths as you develop the future vision for retail. And, how to build experiences that are unique, memorable and create a brand destination.

Track A: Rethinking Associate Engagement & Education

Retailers spend significant time and money on planning to support the execution of their go-to market strategies such as promotions, product launches, etc. However, no matter how well a retailer has planned, when Managers unlock the door to open a store, “stuff” happens. Associates call out sick. Trucks are delayed. A surge of omnichannel orders arrive. The list of unexpected events that can negatively impact a great customer experience is endless.

Each of these unplanned events needs to be dealt with using best practices. Stores must respond in the moment, intelligently. Retailers require a single mobile-enabled interface that offers prioritized alerts and tells the right store associate exactly how to respond.

Brett Friedman, Senior Vice President at Reflexis will discuss:

•• How stores can view and respond to alerts from Workforce Management Systems, the Internet of Things, Weather Services, the Supply Chain, Order Management Systems, and more to improve labor productivity and deliver the best possible in-store shopping experience.

•• How managers and associates can efficiently respond to real-time customer demand and surprise events —following the retailer’s own best practice.

Track B: Capitalizing On The Experience Economy

Improvements in mobile technology have revolutionized retail by giving consumers the tools to ensure their immediate satisfaction– from any location. This rise of the “ondemand” economy is best represented by ride-sharing service Uber; customers are able
to get a ride whenever they need it, wherever they want it – all from the palm of their hand. The on-demand economy promises that consumers get the products they want when they want them (for a reasonable price), but it leaves one crucial promise unfulfilled: the personalized service and customized attention needed to create unparalleled retail experiences. The next steps will involve upleveling the offer of the basic on-demand economy to a more personalized, “concierge economy.”

Gary Ambrosino, CEO of TimeTrade, will expand on the unfulfilled promise of the on-demand economy and offer guidance on how retailers can push their business forward to truly deliver on-demand personalization.

He’ll discuss the approach and tools needed to take a business from simply delivering an on-demand experience to truly executing on the promise of the concierge economy – the ability to add personalization, attention, and unique experiences for each customer.

New retail systems and technology can be a big win for the in-store experience, but how can you ensure that your associates aren’t so bogged down with these new tools and devices that they are not able to effectively engage with customers? How can you rethink associate training and education to encourage meaningful associate-customer interactions?

A diverse group of retailers will discuss:

How to analyze whether technology is enhancing or taking away from human interaction

How to adjust training methods and internal communication to improve associate engagement

Customers are not just looking to shop when they come to your store—they are looking for an experience. They
are seeking out social, entertaining environments that will be meaningful and memorable. Panelists will talk
about out of the box ideas for engaging customers in-store and how their retail footprint has changed to accommodate today’s shopper.

3:20 PM - 3:55 PMAfternoon networking break in the Innovation Lab

Track A: Rethinking Associate Engagement & Education

Why is it difficult to drive adoption of mobile in a world where everyone is dependent on their mobile device?. This discussion will cover some lessons learned creating and implementing associate facing mobile tools.

Track B: Capitalizing On The Experience Economy

Our retail concept combines elements of design and technology to address the challenges of introducing the premier brand of Brazilian rubber flip flops in context. The Havaianas retail environment evokes the traditional open-air markets where our brand started its journey to become a global icon of Brazilian culture

At Future Stores you’re in control! Get involved in our unique, open-mic, peer-to-peer tables for the best conversations you’ll have all year. Talk about your key challenges and hear how other organizations are overcoming them. After 30 minutes, you’ll rotate tables and tackle a new topic with a new expert host.